Location:
Sri Lanka is a teardrop-shaped island in the
Indian Ocean just below the Southern-most
tip of India and lying North of the equator.
Climate
Sri Lanka enjoys a tropical climate. There
are no seasonal variations. The bi-annual
monsoon rains provide the only seasons.
Colombo and the South West get rains from
April to May and September to October. The
East coast gets its share of rainfall from
November to January. Being closer to the
equator, the temperature is high throughout
the year. The average temperature in Colombo
is 27 degrees centigrade (80 degrees
Fahrenheit). This is accompanied by high
levels of humidity. However, in the
different parts of the island, the
temperature and the climate vary according
to the terrain. The higher you go, the
cooler it gets. In the mountainous regions
of Nuwara Eliya, the temperature averages 16
degrees centigrade (61 degrees Fahrenheit).
History
The chronicled history of Sri Lanka dates
back to over 2,500 years. It had established
trade and cultural links with many ancient
civilizations. Throughout history, it has
been known by different names. To the Greeks
it was Taprobane, to the Arabs it was
Serendib, to the Portuguese it was Ceilao,
to the Dutch it was Zeylan, and to the
British it was Ceylon. Sri Lanka was the
ancient name meaning "The Resplendent Isle".
People
The population number approximately 18
million. This multi-ethnic population
comprises:
• Sinhalese - 72%
• Tamils - 19%
• Muslims - 8%
• Burghers (descendants of Dutch and
Portuguese) - 1%
Religion
The four major religions are:
• Buddhism - followed by 69% of the
population
• Hinduism - followed by 13% of the
population
• Islam - followed by 8% of the population
• Christianity - followed by 7% of the
population
Languages
The most commonly-spoken languages in Sri
Lanka are Sinhala, Tamil and English.
Currency
The Sri Lankan Rupee (Rs.) is divided into
100 cents. The coins and notes fall into the
following denominations:
Coins: 1 cent, 2 cents, 5 cents, 10 cents,
25 cents, 50 cents, 1 Rupee, 2 Rupees, 5
Rupees, 10 Rupees
Notes: 10 Rupees, 20 Rupees, 50 Rupees, 100
Rupees, 500 Rupees, 1,000 Rupees
* Please note that 1 cent, 2 cents, 5 cents
and 10 cents coins are barely in circulation
today. |
